Indexed handle or handwheel



K. 0. PFEIFFER. INDEXEDHANDLE 0R HANDWHEEL. APPLICATIDN FILED JULY 31,1920.

Patented Jail. 3, 1922.

w w w UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE.

KARL O. IPFEIFIER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CRANE COMPANY, OF. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

INDEXED HANDLE OR HANDWHEEL.

Application filed July 31,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL O. PFEIFFER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and-State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indexed Handles or Handwheels, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates in general to faucets, cocks, valves or the like, and has more particular reference to a handle or handwheel therefor.

In lavatories and many other places, it is customary to use faucets either of the turn or push type provided with index buttons, from which it may be determined by inspection which is the hot water, and which the cold water faucet.

In the manufacture of these handles or handwheels, it has heretofore been customary to provide the upper face of the top with a socket, into which the index button, usually made of porcelain or china, is set, whereupon the upper edge of the socket was spun inwardly over the circumferential margin of the button to secure and retain the same in place. The spinning operation, however, was one which involved a high degree of delicacy and accuracy in order to compress the metal around the button without rupturing the metal or fracturing the frangible porcelain button. Too great rapidity of the spinning operation, or the application of too much pressureto the tool inevitably resulted in injury either to the button or to the edge of the metal being spun, with the result that the spoilage of these handles during their manufacture was ungrofitably high.

ne of the primary objects of my present invention is the provision of a handle which can be manufactured economically without danger of spoilage, and with this end in view, I have devised a handle in which the porcelain index button, instead of being fastened and retained by a spinning operation, is inserted into the handle from the bottom thereof and clamped in position between two elements of the handle without involving any spinning operation whatsoever.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a handle which will be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and durable in operation, one which will be attractive in appearance and which can be re- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 400,431.

paired if desired by replacing a button which may become accidentally broken without rep-lacing the whole handle.

In order to facilitate an understanding of my lnvention, I have illustrated on the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention and many of 1ts lnherent advantages should be readily appreciated.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a handle embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of another type of handle or indexed button cap embodying my invention; f r

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cap shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is 'a bottom view of the cap shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, reference character 6 indicates generally the body. of a handle, which may be of any preferred shape and size, the one selected for purposes of illustration in this instance being equipped with the usual radially projecting members 7 affording provision for gripping the same to facilitate its turning. This is the usual type of handle employed on turn faucets for use in lavatories and the like.

The body 6 is provided with a centrally disposed bore 8 extending therethrough from bottom to top, the bore however, being of reduced diameter at its upper end so as to provide an inwardly projecting flange 9, preferably extending upwardly above the plane of the radially extending webs of the body. This bore is tapped from its lower end to receive the exteriorly threaded upper end of a member 11 forming the base of the handle. This base is adapted for connection to the stem 12 of a valve, faucet, or the like, this connection being preferably effected by tapping the base to receive the screw-threaded upper end 13 of the stem 12.

The index button 14:, with which the handle is equipped, is customarily made of white porcelain, and is provided on its upper convex face with suitable indicia, such as the words Cold or Hot, and is of such diameter that it may be inserted into the bore the ring 22, which is preferably providedupon the button by the base.

8 of the body from the lower end thereof, but will be prevented from passing entirely through the bore by the inwardly projecting flange 9.

In assembling this structure, the button is inserted into the bore from the lower end, followed by a washer 15 of felt or other yieldable material, whereupon the base 11' is screwed into the bore so as to clamp the button between the base and the flange 9. The washer 15,.interposed between the base and the button, softens the pressure exerted To insure against undue compression of the button such as would be liable to fracture it, the base is equipped with a circumferential stop flange 16 adapted to abut against the lower face of the body 6 to thereby limit the extent of insertion of the base into the body. It will be observed that the button is firmly clamped in position between the flange 9 and the base, the clamping action being inodifled by the yieldable washer 15. In order to prevent accidental unscrewing of the body from the base 10 in operation,- a suitable cement, such as litharrre, is applied to the threads of the base before the connection is established.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, is applicable to faucets having an index cap fastened to the handle top, of the push type, or in other words, tothose faucets which are adapted to be opened by downward pressure upon the top, and also to self-clos1ng basin faucets in which thetop is given a partial rotation for opening purposes and automatically returns to closed position.

In the indexed cap, the body 17 is substantially cylindrical in shape and exteriorly threaded at its lower end, as indicated at 18, for connection with the handle or hand wheel of a valve or faucet. In this instance neath this flange, it is interiorly screw threaded at 21 to receive a member 22which, in this instance, is in the form of a ring exteriorly threaded for engagement with the threads 21 of the cap.

The index button 23, similar in all respects to the button 14:, previously described, is insertable into the top from the bottom end of the bore, and is prevented from upward displacement at the top of the bore by the flange 19. After the button has been inserted in position, it is locked in place by with oppositely disposed recesses 24 to accommodate a spanner wrench, by means of which the ring-can be quickly and easily threaded in place. 'The button in this instance is clamped between the flange 19 and the ring 22, and in this type also, a washer may be interposed between the button and ring, if desired, but I have found that quite satisfactory resultsare secured with this type of top without using a washer.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a handle in which the index button is retained in position by a circumferential flange, but in the "manufacture of which, no spinning operation such as would be liable to result in injury to the button or to the metal of the top, is necessary. The top can be more economically manufactured than those heretofore'in use, the spoilage in manufacture is practically eliminated, the handle can beassembled more quickly than the ordinary type, thus further reducing its cost of manufacture.

l/Vhile I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it should be understood that it'is capableof embodiment in structures differing materially in their detailsfrom those illustrated and. described,-without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim: I i

1. An article of manufacture, comprising a hollow index button holding member threaded at its lower end for attachment to a cock or faucet and provided at its upper end with aniinwardly extending flange, an index button disposed within said member and retained against upward displacement by said flange, and a retaining member struc-, turally independent of the. cock or faucet threaded into said holding member beneath sf'laid button to clamp the button against said ange. y

2.An article of manufacture comprising a hollow member threaded at its lower end for attachment to a faucet orthe like, the bore of said member beingofreduced diameter near its upper end and interiorly threaded, the upper extremity of the bore being provided with an inwardly extending circumferential flange, an index button positioned within the reducedportion of the bore immediately beneath said flange, and a ring member structurally independent of the cock or faucet threaded into said reduced portion of the bore beneath said button to clamp said button in position a ainst said flange.

KKR o. PFEIFFER. 

